Marxist view that trade unions and collective bargaining are a school for socialism and a potential revolutionary force. It does confirm the pessimistic view that it ensures that trade unions will never be any more than trade unions, and that collective bargaining oils the wheels of capitalism. But that's not a bad thing at all, and is one of the great social benefits of collective bargaining. So how exactly does collective bargaining oil the wheels of capitalism? Collective bargaining provides management with a method for dealing with employees in an equitable way. But not only equitable, but also seen to be equitable. If areas of common interest are maximised, and stressed in the collective bargaining process, this can reinforce a an acceptance of common interest by the workforce (Purcell, 1979). The process of collective bargaining also legitimises trade unions within the company or employing organisation. Purcell also contends that this legitimacy can give trade union members a sense of belonging to the organisation (1979). These three things; the sense of equality, common interest and belonging will make workers more content, minimise conflict and create a feeling of stability within the company. Collective bargaining, when agreements that come from it are for set time periods, can allow management to plan for the future based on those agreements and the knowledge that the unions are likely to cooperate. All of the above oil the wheels of a capitalist society. And as I both live in and believe in a largely capitalist society, this has to be a good social influence. Collective bargaining also has its disadvantages as far as capitalism is concerned. In cases where radicals have managed to hijack the union's side of collective bargaining then unreasonable demands can lead to severe conflict. The same can be said of the employer side. Inflexible and uncompromising employers can cause severe disharmony, and possibly cause irreversible d...
